Wide Selection on TV

       • British Broadcasting Corporation is the world's best known public service broadcaster (with the most employees).
       • Public service means to be at the service of the public, of the people.
       • The Swedish broadcaster SVT (Sveriges Television) is a Swedish verision of BBC.
       • BBC and SVT are financed by the licence (license) fees to be paid by everyone who has a TV.
       • SVT has a public-service responsibility to:
              · broadcast quality programmes (programs)
              · broadcast a variety of opinions
              · include various religions, cultures and science
              · keep their independence from commercial influences.
       • The Swedish radio broadcaster Sveriges radio, with stations P1, P3 etc., works about the same way as SVT and also receives money from the TV licence (license) fees.  
       • Some popular TV channels and radio stations are run by businesses and others are run by public service companies which receive money from the TV licence fee. 
       • By way of comparison, in the USA the major TV networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox) receive money for broadcasting advertisements. Sometimes programs are changed to avoid "dissing" products — and scaring off those who pay to send advertisments. The USA also has, a bit in the shadows, an advertising-free TV-network, Public Broadcasting Service.

â–º What is: public service? 

â–º Swedish radio stations P1, P2, P3 (etc.) and SVT have a public-service responsibility. What does that mean?

â–º Should TV & radio only send popular programs and "give the masses what they want"? Or should they have other  ambitions? If so, which ambitions? What do you think? Why?

â–º In the USA the federal government (central government) gives a small subsidy to the advertising-free TV network PBS. President Obama's political opponents want to end the subsidy. Do you agree with them? Why or why not?

â–º Compare SVT (Sveriges Television) and commercial TV in the following respects:

svt1 svt2      private owner?     income (where do they get money?)     public service?     quality (theatre or fun-fair)?

â–º Explain the main difference between American and Swedish radio and TV when it come to ownership, financing, and public service and quality goals.